Stacey Houston Rhodes 4 hrs · Good afternoon everyone!! I hope you are all enjoying this beautiful weather. I wanted to take a moment and update you on the new treatment plan for Amber. As I mentioned before, we are waiting on some pathology tests to come back to see what all of our options are. The first part of the test came back negative in looking for a specific gene marker that will make her eligible for a specific gene therapy treatment. They said it was ok that the first test was negative, because there is a second marker they are looking for that is even more important and needs to test positive to make her eligible. We will not have those results until next week. After talking with her doctors at Mission this past Monday, it has become clear to us that this gene therapy is our best option at this point for stopping Ambers cancer. All of the other options out there will only slow the progress. So we will keep our fingers crossed that this test comes back positive next week. In conjunction with this treatment (or without it) we will be moving forward on a new type of chemotherapy. Again, this chemotherapy is to slow the progress rather then a cure. We were hesitant to try these medications due to the severe side effects, but it is Ambers desire to try, and we will support that! There is only one catch. Usually this chemo is administered in the hospital and requires an overnight stay, this is not an option for Amber. When I tell you she hates the hospital, she REALLY hates being in the hospital. So, the plan is to try giving her the treatment in clinic this coming Monday and if she does well they will let her come home that night. Then on Tuesday a home health nurse will come and administer the last dose and IV fluids. If this works, we will stay on it. If it doesnt, and she ends up in the hospital, we may stop this particular treatment. So once again I ask you all to keep Amber in your thoughts and prayers this coming Monday. We pray the side effects will be minimal and she can avoid the hospital. And even more importantly, we pray the pathology comes back positive this next week!! Thank you for all of your support!!!!! Also, this is big.....if you plan on visiting Amber we must require that you get a flu shot this month!!!! This chemo will drop her blood counts more then any before and we must protect her!!! Thank you for your understanding!!!! Much Love, Stacey, Jason, Garrett, and Amber
Posted on: Thu, 02 Oct 2014 02:03:46 +0000